POKÉMON GIVES TRADING CARD GAME FANS ULTIMATE ONLINE PLAYER-VS.-PLAYER EXPERIENCE
New Pokémon Trading Card Game Online Offers 24-Hour Battling, Sanctioned Tournaments, Customizable Features, and More for Players Worldwide
BELLEVUE, WA—,
Thursday March 10, 2011
Pok�mon� fans can soon play the Pok�mon TCG with anyone, anytime, anywhere, simply by turning on their computers. Expanding on the recently introduced Pok�mon Trainer Challenge, The Pok�mon Company International announced today the Pok�mon Trading Card Game Online, a player-versus-player TCG, launching in fall 2011 for anyone looking to battle 24 hours a day, seven days a week, from the convenience of their PC. Pok�mon TCG Online is a fully immersive online game using virtual Pok�mon TCG cards that players can collect, trade, and use to battle with others just like in the real world!<p>
When Pok�mon TCG Online launches later this year at www.pokemontcg.com, players will already have two ways to collect virtual Pok�mon TCG cards, ensuring they are ready for battle online. The recently announced Pok�mon Trainer Challenge, launching in April, will give players access to three free virtual Pok�mon TCG pre-constructed decks that will be transferable into Pok�mon TCG Online. New and seasoned Pok�mon TCG players can also prepare for online battles against other players by purchasing physical cards�the three Pok�mon TCG: Black & White theme decks, which are available April 6th, include a code that unlocks a virtual deck for play in the Pok�mon Trainer Challenge and Pok�mon TCG Online. The more virtual cards players collect, the easier it will be to create a strong deck for battle!<p>
To help manage virtual Pok�mon TCG cards for easy sorting, trading, and showcasing while ensuring a customizable, in-depth TCG play experience, a unique Collection Management Tool will provide players easy point-and-click access to their collections. Additionally, Pok�mon TCG Online deck-building tools, including an innovative deck-building wizard, will help construct personalized decks that players of all skill levels can call into battle.<p>
―We developed the Pok�mon TCG Online to enable fans of the Pok�mon TCG to play against opponents worldwide, said Andrew Finch, senior director of Online & Community Development at The Pok�mon Company International. ―Everything Pok�mon TCG players love about the game is replicated in a rich, customizable online environment, making it possible to battle when you want and how you want, from training for real-world events to simply battling other TCG players from across the globe.<p>
Some of the most popular elements of social and casual games are intertwined with the best of TCG game play in Pok�mon TCG Online. Similar to the real-world Pok�mon TCG community, the trading of digital TCG cards and items in real time will allow players to interact with others while building decks and collecting a wide variety of Pok�mon TCG-related items online. Various customizable features and digital items will be available through a special currency system earned through numerous game play scenarios, including officially sanctioned online tournaments staged by The Pok�mon Company International. Players can expect the introduction of new items and features frequently.<p>
Individual and community game play statistics will be tracked with ease using three features, including Leveling, which gauges individual playtime to unlock certain features within the game; Ratings, which tracks a player�s games along with any online tournaments entered and won; and Leaderboards, which will post standings for players across various skill levels.<p>
For more information about the upcoming launch of the multiplayer Pok�mon TCG Online or to sign up for an opportunity to play the single-player Pok�mon Trainer Challenge open beta, please visit www.pokemontcg.com.<p>
Fans can play the single-player Pok�mon Trainer Challenge at PAX East, March 11�13 in Boston, MA. To play at home, players need to create a free Pok�mon Trainer Club account, easily obtained at www.pokemon.com/us/account/login.<p>